The air depot is a large and complex repair and overhaul aerospace activity where in - depth scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on a variety of naval aircraft, engines and components are performed. The annual revenue is $750 million and 4,500 people are employed.

The have considerably complex bills of material and routing process. Master Scheduling tasks for repair often considered as projects or job shop environment with substantial variability.

The prototype aircraft selected for proof of concept was the H-46 helicopter. Collaboration with Vector Strategies using our TOC based critical chain scheduling techniques yielded truly impressive results. Over a 2 month period the amount of aircraft in flow was reduced from 26 to 14. This first step was crucial, maintaining 14 aircraft in flow matched their available capacity to the customers demand. The system transformed from a push system to a pull system. The clean and strip supervisor Mark Meno remarked, "Pull work through don't push it.“

The average turnaround time, due in part to an aging fleet of aircraft, was approaching 225 days. Within 4 months of implementing the Vector Strategies approach the turnaround time was reduced to 132 days. This remarkable improvement was accomplished without hiring any additional people. In fact the overtime was now considerably lower than before.

There was a quantifiable improvement of the already high quality product being produced. The amount of rework was reduced and the feedback from customers showed a demonstrable increase in satisfaction. Jerry Frontera, local union steward commented, "Your approach really works, grievances are down and people doing the work are feeling good.”

Scheduled TAT was 135 days were delivered around 195 30 Days additional work added. Belief: "We'll never be able to deliver on time!”

After Vector Strategies implemented TOC, aircraft averaged only 130 Days, including time for additional work. Another TOC Success !

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